Gawker: Subway

Subway Terror Alert

Gabriel Snyder — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:41:40 EST

Have trouble getting to work in New York this morning? That's probably because the FBI issued a memo yesterday warning of a "plausible but unsubstantiated" report that Al Qaeda is planning to attack the subway over the holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving! [AP]

Michael Phelps, Jared From Subway Form Goofy Coalition

Hamilton Nolan — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:54:58 EST

After he won 84 Olympic gold medals in Beijing and celebrated with a firm grip, Michael Phelps got a little screwy with his endorsement deals. He endorsed McDonald's, which made him seem insensitive to fat Americans who don't spend hours doing swimming drills every day, and he endorsed Frosted Flakes, which, you know, ditto. Some of his other endorsement choices came dangerously close to painting him as a nerd. But he's signed on with Subway now—a healthy choice! Screw McDonald's! But this causes as many problems as it solves for Fish Boy:

"The difference is that Michael Jordan only played in one brand of shoes, while Michael [Phelps] has consistently been forthcoming about his love for a variety of different foods and a variety of different quick-service restaurants," [Phelps' agent] said. "There was tremendous interest in that category well beyond McDonald's and Subway."

You hear that, McD's? Michael Phelps will endorse as many fucking fast food companies as he wants! The strong upside for Phelps is that he can now firmly claim to be endorsing a healthy product. The downside: this will make his nerd problem even worse:

Mr. Pace said he could forsee a commercial with pitchman Jared Fogle and Mr. Phelps together, one with a healthful foot-long and the other with several foot-long sandwiches. "And Michael might say, 'I need to eat more than you do, Jared,' and Jared could say, 'But at least I've got you eating right.'"

God, such a nerd. Michael, your next call should be to the Trojan corporation. [Ad Age; pic via MSNBC]

Poster Boy Transcends The Financial Crisis

Hamilton Nolan — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:35:36 EDT

Poster Boy is like gentrification: he doesn't stop, you just get used to him. NYC's premier subway ad poster art-vandal continues to implore hipsters to free their minds using little more than an X-acto knife and some glue. And all the cool bloggers still love him. Five of the anonymous kid's latest, greatest works, below:

[via Flickr]

Chile's Pole Dancing 'Subway Goddess'

ian spiegelman — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:14:33 EDT

As long as you're here, why not watch this video of a Chilean hero who enlivens the commutes of her fellow subway passengers by performing impromptu subterranean pole dances? Clip after the jump.

[via Neatorama]

There Are Bedbugs In The Subway! Panic!

Ryan Tate — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:23:04 EDT

The city has bedbug educators, apparently, and one was speaking at a special Department of Housing forum on bedbugs recently, and he let the following terrifying revelation slip in front of a Post reporter: he sees bedbugs all over various subway benches! He even saw one attach itself to some poor, unsuspecting passenger's ass at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station in Brooklyn! Wait, Brooklyn? McKibben Lofts must be mixed up in this somehow. Anyway, the important thing here is: Definitely do panic. Here, look, the Post is helping to spread the pandemonium:

The official, identified as Edward Brownbear, also reported seeing the bugs on wooden benches at the Union Square and Fordham Road stations in Manhattan and The Bronx, respectively.

Sharis Lugo, 20, of Brooklyn leaped off a bench at the Union Square station when she heard the news, saying, "Ewww! That's nasty . . . They've got to take these benches out of here!"

Yes! And burn them, maybe along with McKibbin Lofts and all the subway cars! And all clothes within city limits!

Or, you know, just sleep with a flashlight next to your bed. FOREVER.

[Post]

(Image via Wikipedia)

Police State Party!

Pareene — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:24:26 EDT

"It's a first for mass transit in the United States. NYPD officers, armed with rifles, submachine guns, body armor and bomb-sniffing dogs will begin patrolling the city's subway system thanks to a 50 percent increase in a homeland security grant." Well, good thing we're putting that to good use! Turning an already problematic police force into a paramilitary organization? What could go wrong! If there's any of that grant money left we should use it to create androids that subdue anyone attempting to dance at a non-licensed bar. With a force as restrained and well-trained and not-roided out of their power-corrupted minds as the NYPD armed to the fucking teeth, what could go wrong? Should we be grateful it's just a ceremonial show of force, like those speeding cop car motorcades that wailed through midtown after the bicycle bombing? Or should we be worried!

"'It's a very good idea. It's like a deterrent. It's going to make me feel safer, much safer, yes it will. It's a good idea,' said commuter Patricia Knight Williams." CBS doesn't mention whether she's a high-functioning autistic but we can infer from her statement that she is, at the very least, an idiot.

New York is inching its way toward becoming London, with closed-circuit surveillance cameras (some of them talk to you!) on every street corner and in any subway station, the threat of national ID cards, and shit like this. Not to mention the high prices and early pub closing!

The increasing paramilitarism of domestic police officers is a cause often taken up by cranks and nuts, but the more serious ones have good research and arguments that should make even the most government-happy liberal nervous. Here's a nice little map of botched SWAT raids by police departments across the nation, often carried out against nonviolent offenders, always using high-powered weaponry and violent tactics.

"Torch Teams" "toting MP5 submachine guns and M4 Carbine rifles that are used by Navy seals" investigating every station and car every day seems a bit more Baghdad than "serving and protecting."

And we just don't trust cops. They arrested Sheila! (The dogs are cute, though.)

Subway Poster Vandals Getting Really Good

Hamilton Nolan — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:03:29 EDT

Occasionally, scofflaws who don't respect the sanctity of advertising posters in the New York subway system tear off bits of some posters and stick them to others to create new and improved versions. Sometimes they're pointless; sometimes they're funny; and sometimes, as in this mixture of Darth Vader, Takashi Murakami, and a beer ad, they're pretty stunning works of art. Click through for larger pics [via And I Am Not Lying], then rush to the Lorimer L train stop to rip this down and sell it on Ebay:

Subway Etiquette: Pooping Is Too Much

rebecca — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:30:00 EDT

The subway is maybe the only place in New York where you can pick your nose, eat McDonald's and read chick lit without shame. That's part of the magic of this city. But occasionally someone goes too far, and the pact of no staring, touching, or judging is broken. Like when someone openly pees into a cup in front of a steel column while waiting for the D train. But that was just the first transgression. After the jump, a picture of the same man about to perform transgression number two.

[via Guest of a Guest]

"I Protected You From Harassment": Missed Connections for the Subway

Sheila — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:58:53 EDT

Maybe this will pacify some of our commuting rage: Subway Crush lets you helpfully point out the cuties you see on the train every day! We were particularly impressed with the chivalrous "I protected you from harrassment" 1 train rider:

"You: petite very cute looking african american female on at 116th or 110th sts i believe and some guy was harrassing you, watched the entire incident cause i was on the train as well and informed two police officers who then entered the car and removed him so that you were safe and then u got off at times square."

Actually, as you'll see below, not all the subway stalkers are as earnest as ur-subway-stalker Patrick Moberg and his sweet Camille:

[Subway Crush]

Dear D.C.: Whatever, Our Rats are Better Than Yours

Sheila — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:42:42 EST

Washington D.C.'s transit authority thinks they're so much better than NYC, taking a cheap shot at our subway rats and showing a picture of a rat asking, "You gonna eat that?" City Room reports on the prissy D.C. Metro ads urging passengers not to eat or drink on the train: "Unlike some subway systems (which will remain nameless), you don't see rats the size of house cats roaming the Metro. Why not? Because we are so strict about eating and drinking in the system. So help us keep the critters away. Please don't eat or drink on the Metro." Hey, youse try cramming 8 million people into a city and see if you can do any better! [City Room]

NYT Makes Comma Error Inside Semicolon Article

Sheila — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:56:31 EST

Boy, an s-load of corrections in the NYT today! Not the least of which include the admission that in the frenzy of their breathless dork-out about the perfect use of a semicolon on an MTA placard, they messed up on comma usage.

'Times' Excited By Proper Punctuation

Pareene — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 10:59:58 EST

The Times was sooo thrilled to find a vaguely correct use of a semicolon on a subway ad that they tracked down the copywriter (who has a degree in creative writing, natch) and wrote a whole cutesy piece about how rare it is that civilians punctuate properly. Then they asked various famous linguists and grammarians to comment:

Louis Menand, an English professor at Harvard and a staff writer at The New Yorker, pronounced the subway poster's use of the semicolon to be "impeccable."

Lynne Truss, author of "Eats Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation," called it a "lovely example" of proper punctuation.

Geoffrey Nunberg, a professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, praised the "burgeoning of punctuational literacy in unlikely places."

Allan M. Siegal, a longtime arbiter of New York Times style before retiring, opined, "The semicolon is correct, though I'd have used a colon, which I think would be a bit more sophisticated in that sentence."

The linguist Noam Chomsky sniffed, "I suppose Bush would claim it's the effect of No Child Left Behind."

Actually we're not sure if they really asked any of those people to comment or if they just made up what they might say in response to this pointless inquiry as a writing exercise. Seriously, Noam? When did he become Bill Maher?

(Fittingly, this impeccable semicolon is in the MTA's house ad about how you should throw away your newspapers when you leave the train instead of leaving them for others to discover the joy of reading.)

Celebrating the Semicolon in a Most Unlikely Location [NYT]

The Hardest Working Writer In Town

Sheila — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 10:00:29 EST

Everybody knows that publishers now expect you to have a "platform," a built-in audience so that you can sell your book all by your own damn self, instead of relying on their increasingly useless in-house promotion. Sometimes, however, there is no platform, except in the literal sense. "This my book, this my book, and this my book," said a gentleman on the downtown 1 train the other day. (He goes by "Blue" but is also named Brad Bathgate.) "The first is a novel called Pretty Ugly. The second is called Corner Stores in the Middle of the Block. The third is a book of poetry, titled Don't Beat Your Children Or They'll End Up Like Me." Laugh it up. "Blue" has published exactly three more books than most of us, probably, and surely outsold this one!

You know that thing where sometimes when ...

Pareene — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:22:30 EDT

You know that thing where sometimes when you leave the subway you're kind of disoriented and you maybe walk half a block in the wrong direction? The City of New York and the Grand Central Partnership, inspired by an unnamed Upper East Side man quoted in the Times last year, have come up with a brilliant solution to that nagging problem: giant compass stickers with smallish directions printed on them and stuck right on the ground outside the stops. So now instead of wasting 30 seconds walking the wrong way every now and then you can claw through 500 retards stopping directly at the top of the stairs to study the goddamn ground in the middle of rush hour. [NYT]

Casualties of War: Free Papers Cause Subway Flooding

suki — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:40:31 EDT

There is a war going on in New York, specifically, a war for the hearts and minds of commuters who don't want to pay 25 cents for the Post. And the war has a victim: the subway. Discarded copies of AM New York and Metro had been blamed for track fires in the past, and now, MTA officials are pointing to them as the culprit for the flooding that seemingly occurs every time it rains more than an inch.

"The drain-clogging freebies were largely responsible for a massive flood in September 2004 that shut down much of the system, MTA board members said yesterday," reports the Post, who surely wants a piece of that market. Newspapers hawkers are supposed to stay off MTA property, but in their zealousness, they ignore the rules of engagement and descend onto the platforms, and worse, leave stacks inside stations, allowing the papers to drift off and into the drainage pipes.

What will the NYPD do about it? Absolutely nothing, apparently. "When the activity creates an obstruction or other safety concern police officers take action," says the deputy commissioner. "Otherwise we don't infringe on the distribution of the newspapers."

"I certainly hope it's not us," Lori Rosen, Metro spokeswoman, said while gesturing in the direction of AM New York.

MTA PAPER WAR [NY Post]

New York City Subway Smell Map: Live, and In Your Face

Chris Mohney — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 17:40:31 EDT

We asked, and you answered. Presenting the New York City Subway Smell Map, created with the able assistance of Gawker readers universe-wide. We've separated hundreds of reader smell reports into ten distinct categories of aromas: food, feces, vomit, sewage, perfume, alcohol, you name it. Glide your mouse over any subway station on the map to see the station name, subway lines, and smell categories. Click, and the popup expands to reveal Zagat-style excerpts from actual reader reports. Careful study and rote memorization of the smell map will allow you to navigate the subway system without even opening your eyes. Of course, you'll have to train your nose to distinguish the local urine varietals at each station, but that's a small price to pay. Note also that the map remains open to future submissions for stations not yet covered or stations currently under-covered. All due props to consummate mapmaker Will James at onNYTurf for use of his elegant subway map. Enjoy this finely interactive and cartographic work of investigative service journalism.

UPDATE: Hey, look, the map is fixed! Now it really works really well. For reals.

Gawker New York City Subway Smell Map

Snakes on a Train

gdelahaye — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 16:30:07 EDT

A Gallup poll released this weekend found that 57 percent of Americans feel America is unprepared for another major disaster. Well, we are in the other 57 percent who think it is ready.

To justify our optimism we will give you an example: we were riding the subway and noticed this sign for the MTA lost and found department.

Naturally, you would expect in a city like New York that some effort would be made to reunite people with their lost dentures, crutches, and balls of yarn. These are things people need to live. But it was an item to the left of the sign that stoked the fires of hope in our bosom.

Not only can you bring live cobras onto the subway, there is actually a department that handles lost cobra claims in the event you and your cobra should be separated. We're going to be fine, people.

We'd Prefer To Set The Record For Staying Off The Subway, But That's Just Us

pevans — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 17:00:56 EDT

To follow-up on our transit transients who intended to break the record for ~~most egregious waste of time~~ fastest ride through the entire NYC subway system, covering all of 230 miles in the process.

We are delighted to report that they did indeed set the record, by a full sixty minutes. We are not surprised to report that Guinness is not officially acknowledging the record because ~~they're stoners~~ they didn't set foot on the platform in each station.

Regardless, we extend to them our kudos, but we're not shaking hands because we anticipate they'll need to shower for 48 hours to decontaminate.

Straphangers Break Record [NY1]
The Subway In A Day [NY DailyNews]
[Image: Gothamist]

Talking Subway Cars Inspire Missed Connections, Spook Homeless

Chris Mohney — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:30:21 EDT

"I love watching people's reactions as they get on the train," she goes on. "They look totally lost ... like they're someplace they shouldn't be."

Could be the opening lines to a 24-year-old's memoir or a quirky romantic comedy, but instead it's a chatty cathy riding one of the sleek new driverless subway cars on the N line. Awkward silences are further punctuated by awkward banter, until, inevitably, the moment is spoiled by a homeless man who expresses alarm that "These trains talk." Someone's definitely where they shouldn't be. Watch for the homeless guy's Craigslist posting.

Ooh, Shiny! [East Village Idiot]

Riding the Entire Subway in Record Time (and Other Lessons in Defying Reality)

Jessica — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:00:08 EDT

Tomorrow at 6 AM, suspected bong collectors Matt Green and Don Badaczewski (above) will get off of their couch and attempt to break the world record for riding the entire NYC subway system in the least amount of time. The current unconfirmed record stands at 25 hours, 11 minutes, but Green and Badaczewski will attempt to subvert the laws of MTA's nature and beat the time — though, just from the looks of them, we worry that they've not contacted the proper record-keeping authorities. ("Dude, you said YOU were gonna call!") From their press release, written in the third person:

While many in New York City show a casual interest in riding the subway, these two men will take it to another level, spending a steamy August day and night trapped in the sweltering subway, subsisting only on beef jerky and water, riding the rails until they have passed through every single station. It is unclear why two men would voluntarily submit themselves to such a harrowing ordeal; it probably has something to do with a need for attention or perhaps blunt head trauma sustained at a young age.

Would you call your subway riding a casual interest? Try bestial necessity. But no matter: these two guys have it in their damaged heads that this is a dream to be achieved (though to the rest of the mass-transit using world, it's a cruel indignity to be suffered). Their complete route, not including which stations where they'll stop to piss on the platform:

Start: Rockaway Park at 6 am
S to Broad Channel
A to Far Rockaway
A to Rockaway Blvd
A to Lefferts Blvd
A to High St
A to Broadway Junction
L to Canarsie
L to 14th St/8th Ave
A to Inwood
A to 168th St
1 to Van Cortlandt Park
1 to Times Square
7 to Queensboro Plaza
N to Ditmars Blvd
N to Queensboro Plaza
7 to Flushing
7 to 74th St/Broadway
V to 23rd St/Ely Ave
G to Hoyt-Schermerhorn
C to Franklin Ave
S to Botanic Garden
3 to New Lots Ave
3 to Franklin Ave
2 to Flatbush Ave
2 to Fulton St
J to Broad St
J to Fulton St
4/5 to Bowling Green
4/5 to Fulton St
2/3 to Chambers St
1 to South Ferry
1 to Chambers St
3 to 148th St
3 to 110th St
2 to Wakefield
2 to E 180th St
5 to Dyre Ave
5 to 125th St
4 to Woodlawn
4 to Yankee Stadium
D to Norwood
D to Grand St
D to Rockefeller Ctr
F to Jamaica
F to Kew Gardens
E to Jamaica Ctr
J to Myrtle Ave
M to Middle Village
M to Myrtle Ave
J to Chambers St
4/6 to 59th St/Lexington Ave
N to 59th St Brooklyn
R to 95th St
R to 36th St
D to Coney Island
N to Pacific St
Q to West 8th St
F to West 4th St
A/E to Canal St
E to 51st St
6 to Pelham Bay Park

Keep an eye out for these marathon riders; if you see them, be sure to give them the requisite water in a paper cup.

Subway Challenge [MySpace]

Last Chance: Smell of the Subway

Chris Mohney — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:40:56 EDT

Burgeoning with life just like the blooming corpse flower, our map of New York subway aromas has almost enough data to finish up and present itself to your delighted senses. But we can always use more tips as we head to the home stretch. Send your final thoughts on specific subway smells in particular subway stations to subwaystink@gmail.com, identifying station, subway line, and smell. Meanwhile, the Washington Post goes on an olfactory tour of summertime Manhattan, bringing along French perfumist Laurice Rahme and retired NYC garbageman Andrew Macchio for color commentary. Rahme is objectionable enough, with her neighborhood-specific perfume line (e.g. "Eau de Noho"). The idea came to her after "the attacks of 9/11 befouled the air of downtown Manhattan." Macchio, on the other hand, is eminently quotable. A few choice examples after the jump.

Rahme and Macchio on the Meatpacking District:"

"People ask me why we don't do a perfume for this neighborhood," says Rahme, as we get out of the cab. "It's because we don't want to capture this."

[...]

"Rancidity. Is that a word?" Macchio asks. Not for the last time today, he seems unmoved. "It's bad, but there's a lot worse than this. If I might mention maggots."

Please do mention maggots! On the other hand, Macchio is trying out the less disgusting end of the smell spectrum as well, leading with an amazing non sequitur:

"Since I'm retired, I'm into scented candles," he announces. "They're fairly expensive, and yet they're disappointing."

[...]

"I recently bought two bunches of eucalyptus branches for my car," Macchio goes on. "I says, 'Perfect under the seat,' but I never put it under the seat; I put it on the front seat, passenger side, but it's drying, the leaves are flaking off, but I haven't had time to clean it because you've got to see my apartment. Every room is having something done to it."

We're not sure, but we think Macchio is hitting on Rahme a little bit at the end there. Go see his apartment indeed.

Eau Dear: Sniffing Out the Big Apple's Smelliest Spots [WP]

Remainders: Paparazzi Keep Boy George From Sweeping in Peace

Jessica — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 18:50:08 EDT

• Boy George's street sweeping causes a paparazzi car crash. Live the Lohan dream, buddy. [OAN]
• The MySpace profiles belonging to Bonnie Fuller, Anna Wintour, and Graydon Carter are fake. Duh, the only profile genuinely belonging to a media bigwig is Atoosa Rubenstein's. The 'Toos loves the 'Space. [AdAge]
• Spin increases its page size to 10x12, making that much more room for Fall Out Boy coverage. [Crain's]
• "Charm School" is a $1600 program that helps men who have trouble talking to ladies. It's kind of like the Pick-Up Artists in The Game, but for wusses. [Reuters]
• The art of gay cruising is not easily mastered. [Manhattan Offender]
• Speaking of Gays, Chelsea really is a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. It's just a pity politicians have to act like that's a bad thing. [Animal]
• It's somewhat inevitable that any conversation on bad subway etiquette will devolve into an anti-Chinese immigrant rant. [Gothamist (see comments)]
• A national women's magazine searches for a man to go on a blind date with a 29-year-old virgin. Who knew Jane was so cruel? [Craigslist]
• If publicist Stephen Huvane were representing a corporation rather than Jennifer Aniston, he'd be shot dead in the street. Actually, that could still happen. [Media Orchard]
• Of course the Post doesn't care about black people; the only exception is if the black person is a pimp and/or bouncer who murders a young white woman. [Blog NYC]
• The Stations of the Mel: Mel is condemned by the press. "Arrest me not," he telleth the centurion, "for I owneth Malibu. And thou lookest a bit Jewish unto me." [NYer]

Dangerous Liquid

Chris Mohney — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 12:20:16 EDT

Last ~~Friday~~ Thursday night's gullywasher rainstorm predictably slowed or paralyzed several New York subway lines and stations; among others, the 125th Street station on the green line was blacked out from a lightning strike, and water flooded several tunnels and platforms. Gothamist brings us this fine commemoration of what it's like to stand next to a veritable torrent of crapwater, filtered through several rarefying layers of Penn Station infrastructure.

Fwd: rain tonight in Penn Sta... 8:15ish.. [Flickr via Boing Boing]

Smell Something? Say Something

Chris Mohney — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 12:50:27 EDT

You may remember our recent call for submissions to the nascent subway smell map, a document we're creating to catalog New York subway station aromas. Response has been tremendous — so much so that we've decided to open up the call beyond Manhattan to include the outer boroughs and solicit aroma info from the entire NYC MTA subway system. Many readers sent in non-Manhattan odors anyway, but there are still plenty of gaps. We're not going to try and classify every single station in the system (turns out it's goddamn huge, who knew), but we'll get as many nailed down as possible. To that end, after the jump is a long list of stations/lines still waiting for input; never mind if you see dupes or apparent errors, as this is just a quickie rundown. Take a look, and if you know of a particular ordure unique to any, drop us a line in the comments below or at subwaystink@gmail.com. Be sure to note the station name, and try to be as specific (and as "colorful") as possible when describing the smell(s).

UPDATE: We almost forgot to mention — not all these smells must be bad, you know. Of course, as current data indicates, there's always room for debate. One person's "rotting corpse" is apparently another's "fresh bagels."

103rd St - 7	9 Ave - M, D	Grand St - 1
103rd St - 6	90th St-Elmhurst Ave - 7	Grant Ave - A
103rd St B, C	95th St - R	Greenpoint Ave - G
104-102nd Sts - J, Z	96th St - B, C	Gun Hill Rd - 5
104th St - A	96th St - 1, 2, 3	Gun Hill Rd - 2, 5
110th St - 6	96th St - 6	Halsey St - 1
110th St-Central Park N - 2,3	9th St-4 Ave - F, M, R	Halsey St - J
111st St - A	Alabama Ave - J	Hewes St - J, M
111st St - J	Allerton Ave - 2, 5	Houston St - 1
111st St - 7	Aqueduct-North Conduit Ave - A	Howard Beach - A
116th St - B,C	Astor Place - 6	Hoyt St - 2, 3
116th St - 6	Astoria Blvd - N, W	Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts - A, C, G
116th St 2, 3	Atlantic Ave - 1	Hunters Pt Ave - 7
116th St-Columbia Univ - 1	Atlantic Ave-Pacific St - 2, 3, 4, 5, M, N, Q, W, R, B, D	Hunts Pt Ave - 6
121st St - J, Z	Ave H - Q	Intervale Ave - 2, 5
125th St - 1	Ave I - F	Jackson Ave - 2, 5
125th St - 2, 3	Ave J - Q	Jamaica Center - E, J, Z
135th St - B, C	Ave M - Q	Jamaica-Van Wyck - E
135th St -2, 3	Ave N - F	Jay St - A, C, F
137th St -1	Ave P - F	Jefferson St - 1
138th St-Grand Concourse - 4, 5	Ave U - Q	Junction Blvd - 7
145th St - 3	Ave U - N	Junius St - 3
145th St - A, C, B, D	Ave U - F	Kings Highway - Q
145th St - 1	Ave X - F	Kings Highway - N
148th St - 3	Bay 50th St - D	Kings Highway - F
149th St-Grand Concourse 2, 4, 5	Bay Pkwy - N	Kingsbridge Rd - B, D
155th St - C	Bay Pkwy - M, D	Kingsbridge Rd - 4
155th St - B, D	Bay Pkwy-22nd Ave - F	Kingston Ave - 3
157th St - 1	Bay Ridge Ave - R	Kingston-Throop Aves - C
15th St - F	Baychester Ave - 5	Knickerbocker Ave - M
167th St - 4	Beach 105th St - A, S	Kosciusko St - J
167th St - B, D	Beach 25th St - A	Lafayette Ave - C
168th St-Broadway - 1, A, C	Beach 36th St - A	Lawrence St - M, R
169th St - F	Beach 44th St - A	Lefferts Blvd - A
170th St - 4	Beach 60th St - A	Liberty Ave - C
170th St - B, D	Beach 67th St - A	Livonia Ave - 1
174-175th Sts - B, D	Beach 90th St - A, S	Longwood Ave - 6
174th St-Southern Blvd - 2, 5	Beach 98th St - A, S	Lorimer St - J, M
176th St - 4	Bedford Ave - 1	Marcy Ave - J, M, Z
179th St - F	Bedford Park Blvd - 4	Metropolitan Ave - M
181st St - A	Bedford Park Blvd - B, D	Metropolitan Ave-Lorimer St - G, 1
181st St - 1	Bedford-Nostrand Aves - G	Metropolitan Ave-Lorimer St - G, 1
182-183rd Sts - B, D	Bergen St - F, G	Middletown Rd - 6
183rd St - 4	Beverley Rd - Q	Montrose Ave - 1
18th Ave - F	Beverley Rd - 2, 5	Morgan Ave - 1
18th Ave - N	Botanic Garden - 2, 3, 4, 5, S	Morris Park - 5
18th Ave M, D - 1	Bowery - J, M	Morrison-Soundview Aves - 6
190th St - A	Bowling Green - 4, 5	Mosholu Pkwy - 4
191st St - 1	Brighton Beach - Q, B	Mt Eden Ave - 4
1st Ave-14th St - 1	Broad Channel - A, S	Myrtle Ave - J, M, Z
205th St - D	Broad St - J, M, Z	Myrtle-Willoughby Aves - G
207th St - 1	Broadway - G	Myrtle-Wyckoff Aves - 1, M
20th Ave - M, D	Broadway - N, W	Neck Rd - Q
20th Ave - N	Bronx Park East - 2, 5	Neptune Ave-Van Sicklen - F
215th St - 1	Brook Ave - 6	Nevins St - 2, 3, 4, 5
219th St - 2, 5	Buhre Ave - 6	New Lots Ave - 3
21st St (Van Alst) - G	Burke Ave - 2, 5	New Utrecht Ave-62nd St - M, N, D
21st St-Queensbridge - F	Burnside Ave - 4	Newkirk Ave - 2, 5
225th St - 1	Bushwick Ave - 1	Northern Blvd - G, R, V
225th St - 2, 5	Uptown Bleecker St-Lafayette St - 6	Norwood Ave - J, Z
231st St - 1	Canal-Church Sts - A, C, E	Nostrand Ave - 3
233rd St - 2, 5	Canal-Varick Sts - 1	Franklin Ave - 2, 3, 4, 5, S
238th St - 2, 5	Carroll St - F, G	Nostrand Ave - A, C
238th St - 2, 5	Castle Hill Ave - 6	Ocean Pkwy - Q
23rd St-6th Ave - F, V	Cathedral Pkwy - B, C	Park Place - S
23rd St-7th Ave - 1	Cathedral Pkwy - 1	Parkside Ave - Q
23rd St-Broadway - N, R	Central Ave - M	Parsons Blvd - F
45 Road-Court Sq - 7	Chambers St-W Broadway - 1, 2, 3	Pelham Bay Park - 6
LIC-Court Sq - E, V, G	Chambers-Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall - 4, 5, 6, J, M, Z	Pelham Pkwy - 5
241st St - 2	Chambers-St-Park Pl - 2, 3, A, C, E	Pelham Pkwy - 2, 5
242nd St - 1	Chauncey St - J, Z	Pennsylvania Ave - 3
25th Ave - D	Christopher St - 1	President St - 2, 5
25th St - M, R	Church Ave - F	Prince St - N, R
28th St-7th Ave - 1	Church Ave - 2, 5	Prospect Ave - M, R
28th St-Broadway - N, R	Church Ave - Q, B	Prospect Ave - 2, 5
28th St-Park Ave S - 6	City Hall-Broadway - R, W	Prospect Park - Q, B, S
30th Ave - N, W	Classon Ave - G	Queens Plaza - E, G, R, V
33rd St-Park Ave - 6	Cleveland St - J	Queensboro Plaza - 7, N, W
36th Ave - N, W	Cortelyou Rd - Q	Ralph Ave - C
36th St - G, R, V	Cortlandt St-Greenwich St - 1	Rector St-Greenwich St - 1
36th St - D, M, N, R	Cortlandt St-Trinity Pl - R, W	Rector St-Trinity Pl - R, W
39 Ave - N, W	Court St-Borough Hall - 4, 5	Rockaway Ave - C
3rd Ave-138th St - 6	Crescent St - J, Z	Rockaway Ave - 3
3rd Ave-149th St - 2, 5	Cypress Ave - 6	Rockaway Blvd - A
40th St - 7	Cypress Hills - J	Rockaway Park-Beach 116th St - A, S
45th St - R	DeKalb Ave - B, M, Q, R	Rockaway Pkwy - 1
46th St - G, R, V	DeKalb Ave - 1	Roosevelt Island - F
46th St - 7	Ditmars Blvd - N, W	Saratoga Ave - 3
47-50th Sts-Rockefeller Center - B, D, F, V	Ditmas Ave - F	Seneca Ave - M
49th St-7th Ave - N, R, W	Dyckman St - 1	Sheepshead Bay - Q, B
50th St - M, D	Dyckman St-200th St - A	Shepherd Ave - C
50th St-Broadway - 1	Dyre Ave-233rd St - 5	Simpson St - 2, 5
52nd St - 7	E 105th St - 1	Smith-9th Sts - F, G
53rd St - R	E 143rd St - 6	St Lawrence Ave - 6
55th St - M, D	E 149th St - 6	Steinway St - G, R, V
57th St-7th Ave - N, Q, R, W	E 177th St-Parkchester - 6	Sterling St - 2, 5
59th St-Columbus Circle - 1, A, C, B, D	E 180th St - 2, 5	Stillwell Ave - F, Q, D
63rd St-Lexington Ave - F	Broadway Junction - A, C, 1, J, Z	Sutphin Blvd - F
5th Ave-53rd St - E, V	Broadway Junction - A, C, 1, J, Z	Sutphin Blvd-Archer Ave - E, J, Z
5th Ave-60th St - N, R, W	E Tremont Ave - 2, 5	Sutter Ave - 3
63rd Dr - G, R, V	East Broadway - F	Sutter Ave - 1
65th St - G, R, V	Eastern Pkwy - 2, 3	Tremont Ave - B, D
67th Ave - G, R, V	Elder Ave - 6	Union St - M, R
68th St - 6	Elderts Lane - J, Z	Union Turnpike - E, F
69th St - 7	Elmhurst Ave - G, R, V	Utica Ave - 3, 4
71-Continental Aves - E, F, V, G, R	Euclid Ave - A, C	Utica Ave - A, C
71st St - M, D	Far Rockaway-Mott Ave - A	Van Siclen Ave - 3
72nd St - B, C	Flatbush Ave - 2, 5	Van Siclen Ave - C
72nd St - 1, 2, 3	Flushing Ave - J, M	Van Siclen Ave - J
74th St-Roosevelt Ave - 7, E, F, V, G, R	Fordham Rd - 4	Van Wyck Blvd - E, F
75th Ave - E, F	Fordham Rd - B, D	Vernon-Jackson Aves - 7
77th St - R	Forest Ave - M	W 8th St - F, Q
79th St - M, D	Forest Pkwy - J	Wall St-Broadway - 4, 5
79th St - 1	Franklin Ave - C, S	Wall St-William St - 2, 3
7th Ave - Q, B	Franklin St - 1	Westchester Square - 6
80th St - A	Freeman St - 2, 5	Whitlock Rd - 6
82nd St-Jackson Hts - 7	Fresh Pond Rd - M	Willets Pt - 7
86th St - 1	Ft Hamilton Pkwy - M, D	Wilson Ave - 1
86th St - R	Ft Hamilton Pkwy - N	Winthrop St - 2, 5
86th St - B, C	Ft Hamilton Pkwy - F	Woodhaven Blvd - J, Z
86th St - N	Fulton St - G	Woodhaven Blvd - G, R, V
88th St - A	Grand Army Plaza - 2, 3	Woodlawn - 4
8th Ave - N	Grand Ave - G, R, V	York St - F
8th St-Broadway - N, R	Grand St - B, D	Zerega Ave - 6

Earlier: Smell of the Subway

Smell of the Subway

Chris Mohney — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 11:10:00 EDT

Yesterday's post on Curbed about the differing smells of New York subways vs. PATH tunnels (it's the brake pads, say the commenters) had us fondly remembering how certain MTA stations are known for particular aromas. Who can forget the rank urinary death-gauntlet in the transverse at 51st and Lexington? Or the infamous fish stink at Canal Street? Unfortunately, this level of detail has never been compiled in one place. Since we take our mission to serve the public very seriously, we've decided to construct an olfactory map of the Manhattan subway. And of course, we need your help. Certain stations already have obvious smell-tags, but we need more data. If you've identified a particular, persistent funk at any Manhattan subway station, submit it in the comments below or to subwaystink@gmail.com. Certain stations deserve special warnings for cyclical odors — some are particularly congenial for harboring vast clouds of B.O. during rush hour — so note that as well if appropriate.

Ask Curbed: The Air Down There [Curbed]

How Bad Do You Want Bad Design to Be Good?

Chris Mohney — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:17:26 EDT

New York commuters are likely familiar with this year's round of ads for the School of Visual Arts. "How Bad Do You Want to Be Good?" is the theme, with various posters and subway-car ceiling ads taking the theme in strange new directions. After the jump, the Williamsburger reaction, as sent in by a reader from Lorimer Street, "the second (or perhaps first) hippest subway stop in New York."

Everyone's a critic. Our suggestion: bigger headlines.

Midget Michael Jackson More Normal Than Regular Michael Jackson

Jessica — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 14:32:58 EDT

Because Fridays are for mindless inanity, meet the Midget Michael Jackson, who moonwalks into the hearts of all 42nd Street commuters. Shut-ins that we are, we've no idea what sort of subterranean urchins are lurking below nowadays, but this little fella seems particularly special. He's so adorable, so perfect — if his face looked just slightly younger, he'd have Jesus Juice forced down his tender throat in no time.

Making Your Turban MTA-Approved

Jessica — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 18:04:40 EDT

Last year, Sikh station agent employee Trilok Arora and others sued the MTA over its requirement that they wear the MTA logo on their turbans. Arora still refuses to wear the logo and only pins it to his turban when ordered by a supervisor. Unfortunately he was photographed during one of those logo-wearing instances, and he's found himself pictured in his MTA turban in a brochure outlining MTA dress codes. Arora is embarrassed to have emerged as an unwitting poster boy for a policy he's against; the MTA, however, stridently monitors the proper appropriation of their logo. But we think these two can meet each other halfway:

Sikh Employee Unwilling Poster Boy For Transit Authority Dress Code [NY Sun]
Earlier: MTA vs. JFJ In Final Apocalyptic Fight for Souls of Branded-Merchandise Wearers

See Someone Saw Someone, Say Something

Chris Mohney — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 14:30:11 EDT

Because You Demanded It — deranged man attacks subway rider with industrial tools, then absconds with teddy bear on continued crimewave. The Today Show has the goods above. Shocking, as even with the trials and tribulations of a normal New York subway commute, one rarely expects an assault from a pair of cordless reciprocating saws. And there's some question about whether or not MTA workers at the scene fled and/or observed the carnage with bored disinterest. See zone-flooding repetitive linkfest after the jump for full details, but the upshot is that the alleged saw-wielding maniac has been apprehended, and the victim is recovering from his wounds in the hospital. Plus, as Newsday notes, subway officials don't think this will make customers feel unsafe, and they're right — an interviewed straphanger says of the saw attack, "It doesn't happen that often." [emph. added]

UPDATE: New York City Transit maintains that the "transit authority people" who didn't come to the sawing victim's rescue were not MTA employees but actually electrical contractors from Ozone Park. That's what you get for importing cheap Queens labor.

Saw Maniac in Subway Horror [NYP]
Man Slices Through Postal Worker at Subway Station [Gothamist]
'Positive I was a dead man ... I was bleeding everyplace' [NYDN]
Postal Worker Sliced by Saw-Wielding Attacker [NYT]
Saw-attack victim: Workers didn't help me [AMNY]
Slashed at a subway station [Newsday]
Attack With Electric Saw In Subway [NY Sun]
Arrest In Subway Power Saw Rampage [CBS]
Official: Subways safe [Newsday]

Remainders: Brad Pitt Thinks Angie Might Be Preggers

Jessica — Tue, 23 May 2006 18:45:25 EDT

• Brad Pitt announces that his baby with Angelina Jolie is "imminent." Really? Did he just figure this out? What tipped him off? Did Zahara tell him? [CNN]
• Former Nanny Fran Drescher tells Howard Stern that she'd love a career in New York politics. Too bad not many people would willingly listen to her while she explained her platform. [Cityrag]
• Times mag on May 7; New Yorker on May 15; the Times today. It's official: the Dog Whisperer is overexposed. [NYT]
• Al Roker goes to Philly and gets a face shot. [Philadelphia Will Do]
• Got a hipster band but no success to speak of? Strong arm your way on the Misshapes playlist with a Joy Division cover. Ian Curtis = cash money. [My Old Kentucky]
• In LA, Madonna kicked off her world tour in fine form: by hanging herself from a giant disco crucifix. Those $400 tickets are going to be worth every penny. [AP]
• Kelly Ripa smells like fish. She won't tell you why, but we've some guesses. Nothing a little Summer's Eve can't fix. [BWE]
• Attention ladies and gays: looking for love? Try riding the subway between 5 and 6 AM, when the male/female ratio is 9:1. [Graphpaper]

Oh When Toussaint Goes Marching In

Jesse — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 10:54:05 EDT

Transit union leader Roger Toussaint reports to the Tombs this afternoon to being serving his 10-day sentence for leading the three-day strike against the MTA in December in violation of the state's Taylor Law. The News prints an exclusive! interview with Toussaint today, conducted on the eve of his incarceration, in which he talks about what a challenge this will be, especially for his family.

We'd be empathetic, if only we had some experience with being stuck in one place, unable to go where we wanted to go.

Prison Doesn't Scare Me, But How Do I Tell My Young Son? [NYDN]

Prisoner of Second Avenue Subway News

Jesse — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 10:43:08 EDT

Now that they've finally broken ground — or "lifted rail," or whatever they've done — on the High Line, it seems we might never again see one of those delightfully repetitive "High Line Approved! For Now!" headlines. How to fill the void? With the perhaps-apocryphal Second Avenue Subway, of course. Let the "Second Avenue Subway Approved! For Now!" headlines begin. It's all you, Newsday.

Nice work, guys. We hope there's lots more where that came from.

Second Ave Subway Project Clears Big Hurdle [Newsday]

'New York' Mag: Subway Flasher Even Weirder Than You Thought

Jesse — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 13:48:14 EDT

Back in August, some random perv on the R train whipped out his shlong and showed it off to 22-year-old Thao Nguyen. Nguyen had the presence of mind to snap his pic with her cameraphone, and the shot made its way to a website and then to the front page of the Daily News. At which point it was discovered that the flasher was in fact a very specific perv: Dan Hoyt, the owner of the East Village restaurant Quintessence and a leader of the raw-food movement. Convicted of public lewdness and awaiting sentencing in a few weeks, he allowed himself to be profiled in the new New York. You'd imagine he'd have lots of apologetic things to say, wouldn't you? Probably some therapized talk about how he was frustrated and misunderstood and acting out in response to childhood neglect, right? Alas, wrong. Way wrong:

As for his R-train exploits, Hoyt says, "I've met women who enjoy it. After this incident happened, I had a woman tell me, 'You know, that sounds exciting to me.' She wouldn't mind being on the other end."...

Hoyt believes that if he and Nguyen had only met under different circumstances, she might really like him. "You know, she'd go, 'That guy's pretty cool. He's got this restaurant, and he's fun,'" Hoyt says. "She'd probably want to go out with me."

Of course she would.

Onan The Vegetarian [NYM]

More With the 'Brokeback'

Jesse — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 14:20:34 EST

We wish you could, too, you hacky copywriters. We really do.

Brokeback — Ugh [fish drink water]

Why the Rest of the Country Thinks We Eat Paste

Jessica — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 13:45:35 EST

Click to enlarge.

One week, one puddle, and one obsessive-compulsive reader drawn into the depths of insanity. Next week, a treatment of the crumpled McDonald's bag at Astor Place.

Doogie -- He's Just Like Us!

Jesse — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 09:13:13 EST

"Dear PDA Diary: After a long, hard day, there's something calming and relaxing about getting on a downtown B train on the Upper West Side, clearing your head, and thinking about life. Especially when you're wearing a fabulous scarf and have a cute homo friend on each side. Still, I miss Vinnie."

And at Night, They Sleep on Piles of Benjamins

Jessica — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 08:24:45 EST

Though we may choose to ignore it, transit workers and the MTA have yet to reach an actual agreement. Though we believe (or pray, anyhow) that the situation won't plummet to the hellish depths of December's strike, we found the above chart rather helpful. It's not exactly news but, should things get ugly, this is the sort of information you need to appropriately direct your anger. If we hate together, we can win together.

Transit Workers/Transit Riders [Gotham Gazette]

Mobile Dickhead; or, The Whale

Jesse — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 10:40:55 EST

This picture showed up in our inbox late last night. We have no idea when it's from. (The emailer says it was taken on an uptown 6, just above Canal, at about 11 at night. But it's clearly an IND/BMT train car, not an IRT, which makes us skeptical of the other claims.) All we know is that if we had to look at that hairy white gut, well, dammit, so do you.

Happy Friday, kids.

Free Newspapers: Highly Combustible Garbage

Jessica — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:20:11 EST

Our beloved officials at the MTA announced yesterday that refuse left behind from riders has resulted in "about 15 tons more trash a day" than in 2004. Authorities noted communter newspapers like AM New York and Metro, which are hawked outside of subway entrances, are particularly responsible in the increase in garbage, and "may be in large part to blame for a surge in track fires."

We always knew the freebie papers weren't just garbage — they're perfectly good for kindling, too. Also worth noting: When there's a track fire, there will be delays; and when there's delays, what better way to pass the time than with a free paper? Quite the vicious little circle they've got going.

MTA Blames Commuter Papers for Surge in Track Fires [NY1]

Remainders: New Fake Writers by the Minute

Jessica — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 18:00:57 EST

• Time for another Fake Writer to emerge... How about Dan Brown, the far-too-rich author of The Da Vinci code? Two London writers are suing Random House over allegations that Brown's novel lifts key elements from their 1982 book — just in time for the movie, no less. [MSNBC]
• A tip of the hat to pop star George Michael, who was arrested in London this weekend after authorities found him parked outside of Hyde Park, high as a kite. Oh, how far we fall from the halcyon days of bathroom masturbation. [Rolling Stone]
• More on Caligula and the awesome perv behind it all. [Artforum]
• Malcolm Gladwell blogs, signifying the medium's tipping point (ba-dum-dum). [Gladwell]
• Artist Neil Goldberg captured the expressions on subway-riding New Yorkers' faces at the exact moment when they realized they'd missed the train. It's depressing enough to make you stick to cabs. [Encyclopedia Hanasiana]
• Speaking of which, Melissa Plaut — the voice behind the delightful cab-driver blog New York Hack — gets her big coming out party in the Washington Post. Not too shabby. [WaPo]